In the field of production of electronic circuits, particularly multi-layer circuits, it is known, as described for example in the Italian patent of industrial invention IT-B-1310557, granted on 18.02.2002 in the name of the present Applicant, to use elementary circuits each made on a base support which is disposed on a supporting plate and which comprises one or more sheets of insulating material, consisting of aluminum, or synthetic materials, and also called Greentape®.
In the course of the different working steps of said circuits, each supporting plate is moved by the manipulator of a robotized device between a feed line and one or more work stations, normally disposed at the side of the feed line.
The robotized device is required to position the plate, keeping it horizontal so as to pick it up from, and deposit it correctly onto, the feed line or the work station.
Known devices generally comprise one or more robotized arms connected to the manipulator, which do not guarantee, however, that the manipulator, and therefore the plate, is maintained perfectly horizontal, unless extremely complex and expensive mechanical and electronic solutions are used.
One purpose of the present invention is to achieve a device to move a manipulator element which allows to position objects at least between a feed line and one or more work stations, also disposed on different and offset planes with respect to the pick-up point, and which at the same time guarantees that the manipulator element, and hence the object to be manipulated, is kept horizontal, even when there are high pick-up and depositing speeds.
The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages.